A planned court consolidation in New Orleans approved by lawmakers after Hurricane Katrina has been scrapped.

The Senate gave final legislative passage Monday to a bill that stops the consolidation. The measure by New Orleans Sen. Ed Murray is headed to the governor's desk.

Six years ago, the Legislature backed a plan by then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco to merge the civil, criminal and juvenile courts in Orleans Parish, arguing that the parish courts needed to look more like the system used in other parishes.

Murray says the court merger would be costly and inefficient, with a price tag topping $7 million.

Consolidations pushed after Katrina for the New Orleans sheriff's and other municipal offices have occurred.